Lara Violetta Giller is a fresh inspiration when it comes to beauty and fashion, as she develops her visual language from a different angle.
We met in Paris, the town of her choice after studying communication design in Berlin and her master’s in design management.
She is working on multiple projects to expand her brand and the way she focus on make up had made me curious. Here comes our beauty chat.
IRMA: The first thing you do in the morning for your skin care?
LARA VIOLETTA: I just upgraded my skin care routine. Investing in the Skin Ceutical’s „Triple Lipid Restore“ moisturizer and „Phyto Corrective“ drops really changed my sensitive skin for the better. On some days I like to use my skin gym face massager to depuff. I keep it in the fridge so its very cooling and great to sculpture the face. For my under-eyes I use the „Hydraphase Yeux“ by La Roche- Posay and as for sunscreen I like to use La Roche-Posay’s „Anthelios“. I really love the smell of sunscreen and besides of it being necessary, it is also a great base for make-up.
IRMA: Which tool or make up product are you currently using that made a change?
LARA VIOLETTA: The product with the biggest impact on me was the Byredo „Prismic Palette”. I got it exactly one year ago, it’s a big, colourful palette with beautiful mattes and shimmers. The palette was designed to experiment, the formulas are very creamy and soft, and they change when you dip into it with a wet brush. A very soft way to step out of your comfort zone. It was designed to apply it wherever you want to, so for example, you could use the colour on your eyes and lips for a monochromatic look. It inspired me to have more fun with colourful make-up and to use a product in multiple ways.
IRMA: Any Tipps and tricks for hair care when using colour?
LARA VIOLETTA: It starts with choosing the right colourist. Someone you trust and that is available. The less different people you have touching your hair, the better. Also, for bleaching your hair, you need to be aware that the colour changes, it depends on so many influences. Maintaining one exact tone is difficult. I use Olaplex to nurture my hair and purple shampoo & conditioner to keep it „white-isch“. Sometimes I mix the products a bit and I also take vitamins. Being a platinum blonde is a full-time job, but I love it.
IRMA: What does colour mean to you when wearing make up?
LARA VIOLETTA: I used to be afraid of wearing too much colour on the eyes, the lips, the cheeks. It seemed intimidating, as it is clearly a drift from enhancing your natural features to bolder, more decorative looks. I was especially overwhelmed by all the rules eyeshadow seemed to have, with all the little step by step pictures on the back of a palette. But when I found my way of using colours, which is more simple and less serious, I had so much fun with it. So, to me it means experimenting, not having rules and being confident.
IRMA: What come first your make-up or your outfit?
LARA VIOLETTA: My make-up
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IRMA: Do you have a beauty role model?
LARA VIOLETTA: To be honest, I don’t have someone like a celebrity as my beauty role model. Tough, I do admire a lot of make-up artists like Isamaya French, Valentina Li, Cecile Paravina, Sam Vissier and many more for the amazing looks they create on different people.
IRMA: Do you have a beauty ritual you came up with when you moved to Paris?
LARA VIOLETTA: Pretty much everything changed for me when I moved to Paris. So, it’s hard to name one ritual. I feel like you always need some time to understand what your hair and skin needs in a different environment. The air is different, the tap water too, so you might have to change up your products. I also do wake up earlier now, so having some time in the morning for myself, drinking my tea or coffee and doing my skincare is a beloved ritual of mine.
IRMA: Which beauty address in Paris made you change your look or beauty routine? If so
LARA VIOLETTA: The Superstars hair-salon definitely made me change my look. I always wanted to bleach my hair and brows but when I discovered the salon, I truly felt like they would understand me. It is a Japanese salon, they have two locations, one here in Paris and one in Tokyo. My friend Tomoko is absolutely outstanding with colour and created so many incredible looks. I instantly knew it was the perfect fit and time to do it there.
IRMA: Best place in Paris to get inspired for make up and skin care?
LARA VIOLETTA: The Parisian pharmacies are well known for being skin care temples. There is one pharmacy in Saint Germain, called City Pharma, that is especially loved by make-up artists for its deals and wide range of products. I also love to browse around and shop for make-up products in le Bon Marché and Kryolan. To get inspired I love to go to OFR magazine shop close to République, they have the most fashionable and inspiring magazines.
IRMA: Your favourites nail Bar in Paris.
LARA VIOLETTA: Zen d’amour is my go-to nail bar here. I didn’t do any type of research regarding it, they are just located next to one of our favourites coffee places. So, I kind of bummed into it. The salon is quite big for Paris, it’s very calming and I think they do an amazing job. Getting my nails done is probably the only time I don’t work because I’m not allowed to move my hands. So this is my holy podcast on- and relax time.
IRMA: Where do you find inspiration, for your personal look, work, living and fashion?
LARA VIOLETTA: I love magazines, I think they are especially great for getting inspired for beauty looks. Discovering the very chic and glossy magazine called Beauté Revue was especially exiting for me. I also find a lot of inspiration on Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr. I do have so many mood boards and folders going back to 2014 filled just with screenshots of looks I was, and still am, obsessed with.
About Lara Violetta:
I grew up in Munich, Bavaria. Shortly after my Abitur I moved to Berlin to study communication design. During this time, I formed my visual and technical skillset resulting in my ongoing interest in visual and conceptual brand building. After my design management masters, in September 2020, I moved to Paris.
While working freelance in graphic- and 3D design I started my own YouTube channel in November 2020. I never thought I would ever be in front of the camera as I was always shy, would get red way too easily and am probably the worst public speaker on this beautiful planet. Until I put myself there. It was very impulsive, when I started filming on my 5-year-old iPhone I had no intention to ever speak in a video and no idea how much work it would be. I just wanted to try it, especially since I always loved make-up and fashion.
YouTube and Instagram are a great way for me to express my interests and I have so much fun producing content. My education and interests are a good base for this, as I am currently also working on multiple projects to expand my brand.